Brake-beam strut.



' PATENTED JUNE 23, 1903.

H. C. BUHOUP. BRAKE BEAM STRUT. APPLICATION FILED PEIB.18,'1903.

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No. 731,541. y PATENTED JUNE 23, 190

' H. (LBUHOUP.

BRAKE BEAM STRUT. urmouiox FILED 21113.18, 1903. r no menu. 2 sums-sum 2.

gi jzfiw a i ii Patented June 23, 1903.

HARRYoBUI-IOUP, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BRAKE-BEAM STRUT.

srnoimcnriott sna part of Letters Patent Ne. 731,541, dated June 23, 1903. Application filed February 18, 1903- $eria1No.l43,94=5. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY C. BUHOUP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, Stateof'lllinois, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsinBrake-Beam Struts; andlherebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, 'in which- Figure l is a'plan iew of a brake-beam strut embodying. my invention shown in its relation to the compression and tension members of a trussed brake-beam. Fig. 2 is a transverse section'of Fig. 1, taken-through the lever-pin hole. Fig. 3 isa section similar to Fig. 2, except that the strut is in the position it occupies on a left-hand beam. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan View of the strut shown in Fig: 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section-of the strut, taken on the line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse section of the strut, taken through the leverpin hole. Figs. 7 and 8'are end views of the strut shown in Fig. 1, th'e stop-lugs being shown in their respective positions for righthand and left-hand brake-beams. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the tension-member end of a modified form, of brake-beam strut embodying my invention. Fig; 10 is an end View of the modification shown} in Fig. 9. Figs. 11 and 12 are respectively side elevation and plan views 'of thetension-member end of a further modification of a brake-beam strut embodying my invention. Fig. 13 is an enlarged transverse section, taken through the lever-pin hole, of a modified form of my strut or lever-post, showing a closed compressionmember recess and duplicate pairs of compression-memberseats or stops.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occuit' r 1 J My invention relates to the construction of brake-beam strutsfor railway-cars, whether of'the trussed or solid type, and for the purpose of this specification has been shown in connection with a trussed brake-beam, as it will be readily understood that solid brakebeams are typified by the omission of the truss-rod or tension member of the trussed form.

On account of the different inclinations of the brake-levers to the right or to the left of the vertical brake-beam struts or lever-posts must be adapted to engage the brake-levers in either of these positions, and brake-beams are termed either right-hand or lefthand, depending on the inclination of the brake-lever they are designed to accommodate. Heretofore where such struts or leverposts have been made adjustable in respect to the inclination of the brake-lever it has been necessary to construct the strut or leverpost of several independent parts, which by wear upon each" other decreased the initial tension under which beams are usually assembled and resulted in a greater deflection of the brake-beam under load. Where integral or solid struts or lever-posts have been employed, it has been necessary to have separate patterns for right-hand and left-hand beams, the result being that the bralre-bean1 could only be applied to right-hand or lefthand brake-levers, as the case might be, and not to either indiiferently.

The object of my invention is primarily to construct a solid or integral brake-beam strut or lever-post so that the same may be adjustable to receive the brake-lever in either of its positions, also to retain said strut securely in either position after adjustment; but my invention may be also applied in connection with a strutor lever-post composed of separate parts, as I have shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

To this end the main feature of my invention embraces a lever-post or strut for brakebeams having a compression-member recess of a character that permits a partial rotation of said strut or lever-post upon the compression member.

There are other minor features of invention, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings chosen for'tlre purpose of illustrating my invention, A is the compression member, B'thetension membenrand C the strut, of a trussed brake-beam.

The strut or lever-post 0 may have the usual brake-lever slot 1 and brake-lever pinhole 2 and is provided at the end which contacts the tension member with a truss-rod seat 3, which is preferably equally and convexly curved in all directions (or at least throughout such portion as lies between the adjusted positions of the truss-rod) to form a hearing which may be easily rotated or turned upon the truss-rod, the turning or rotation of said strut or lever-post with respect to the truss-rod or tension member being limited by means of the lugs or stops 4 4, the distance between which exceeds the width or diameter of the truss-rod or tension member, and which are so positioned with respect to the brake-lever slot 1 and to each other that said brake-lever slot shall have its proper angle when such lugs or stops 4 engage the tension member, and the said lugs or stops 4 4 serve to retain the truss-rod or tension member B in its proper relation with respect to the strut C.

At the compression-member end the strut or lever-post is recessed, as at 5, for the re ception of the beam or compression member A, said compression-member recess 5 being preferably open on one side, by which. means this portion of the strut is greatly reduced in size, while yet permitting the partial rotation of the strut with respect to the compression member, and the beam may be repaired Without removing the brake-heads.

Upon the interior of the compression-member recess 5 and adjacent to each other are seats 5'" 5", one or the other of which bears against the compression member A in either position of the brake-lever slot 1 and limits the rotation of the strut or lever-post with respect to the compression member, the bolts 6 6 6 securing the strut rigidly in such position. The stops or seats 5 5 are preferably disposed at an angle of fifty degrees to the brake-lever slot in order that they shall bear against the compression member A; but, if desired, said stops may be at a dilferent angle, and any expedient-as, for example, tapered Wedges inserted between the compression member and stopsmay be employed to insure the proper angle of the brake-lever slot and the bearing of the strut upon the compression member of the brake-beam.

If it is not desired to form the compressionmember recess 5 with open side, an additional set of seats or stops 5 5 may be formed on the interior of the recess 5 (see Fig. 13) at a point diagonally opposite, the bolt 6 being omitted at this point, or, if preferred, a single seat 5 and a diagonally opposite seat 5 may be employed.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10 instead of the equally-curved tension-member seat 3 and lugs or stops 4 4 the seats for v the reception of the tension member in the different positions of the strut or lever-post are separate and independent, as at 3 3, said seats being slightly curved in the direction of their length and having a contour corresponding to the perimeter of the truss-rod adjacent thereto, whereby the tension member 13 is retained in its proper relation to the strut C.

The modification shown in Figs. 11 and 12 shows the applicability of a strut having my form of compression-member recess to a de-' tachable trussrod seat 3 said detachable seat being attached to the main body of the strut or lever-post by a pin-and-socket connection.

The construction of the several parts of the device being substantially such as herein pointed out, it may be assembled in the brakebeam structure by first applying the strut C to the compression member A, next applying the brake-heads (not shown) to the ends of said compression member, and finally passing the tension member B around the strut C and through the brake-heads, tightening up the structure in the usual manner by nuts on the ends of the truss-rod B.

The above description of the assembling of the parts of a brake-beam applies equally whether the compression-member recess 5 is open on one side or is entirely closed; but the brake-heads may be applied to the compression member before the application of the strut C if the former type of compressionmember recess is used.

The brake-beam having been assembled as a right-hand beam (see Figs. 1 and 2) and it being desired to adjust it to accommodate a left-hand brake-lever, the necessary bolts 6 6 are removed, when the strut or lever-post C may be rotated about its longitudinal axis until the compression member seats, bearings, or stops 5 5 have assumed the position shown in Fig. 3, when the bolts 6 6 may be inserted and secured and the brake-lever slot will be rigidly held in its proper left-hand position.

In the modification of the strut or leverpost shown in Figs. 9 and 10 it will be necessary to slightly loosen the tension member 13 in order that the end of the strut adjacent thereto may rotate; but in the forms shown in the remaining figures no such manipulation of the truss-rod B is necessary.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An adjustable strut or lever-post for brake-beams having a compression-member recess adapted to be rotated upon the compression member of a brake-beam, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. An adjustable strut or lever-post for brake-beams having a compression-member recess adapted to be rotated upon the compression member of a brake-beam, and means for limiting the rotation of said strut or lever-post, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. An adjustable strut or lever-post for brake-beams having a compression-member recess adapted to be rotated upon the compression member of a brake-beam, means for limiting the rotation of said strut or leverpost, and means for retaining said strut or lever-post in its adjusted position, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. An adjustable strut or lever-post for brake-beams having a truss-rod seat curved equally throughout such portion as lies between the adjusted positions of the truss-rod, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. An adjustable strut or lever -post for brake-beams having a truss-rod seat convex ly and equally curved throughout such portion as lies between the adjusted positions of the truss-rod, and means for retaining the trussrod in proper relation with said strut, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. An adjustable strut or lever-post for brake-beams havinga convexly-curved truss rod seat, and truss-rod stops, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. An adjustable strut or lever-post for brake-beams having a truss-rod seat convexly curved throughout such portion as lies between the adjusted positions of the truss-rod,

substantially as and for the purposes specified.

10. An adjustable strut or 1ever-post for brake-beams having a compression-member recess provided with stops which'limit the rotation of the strut or lever-post upon said compression member, said stops disposed at an angle of fifty degrees with the brake-lever slot of said strut or lever-post, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

11. An adjustable strut or lever-post for brake-beams having a compression-member recess rotatable upon the compression member of said brake-beam, stops which limit the rotation of said strut or lever-post upon the compression member, and means for retaining said strut or lever-post in an adjusted position, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

12. An adjustable strut or lever-post for trussed brake-beams, having a tension-member seat provided with stops the distance between which exceeds the width or diameter of the tension member to be used therewith, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 18th day of February, 1903.

HARRY O. BUHOUP.

Witnesses:

HUGH M. STERLING, WM. E. DYRE. 

